Thunderous Maturation: The Silver Conversion
by Unlimited Depths
Summary: Faced with defeat at the Silver Conference, Ash stands proud of his accomplishments. A series of conversations raise a potential issue. Ash now has a choice. Beginning of a powerful Ash universe. One Shot.


The stadium was empty.

The rows upon rows of empty seats still echoed with the cheers of the fans watching the battles fought and won below. Breaking into the stands was the glass commentator's box. Right around the box was a large screen, now pitch black. Hours ago, it had been powered on displaying the match facts of the fierce competitors in the final of the Silver Conference.

On the stadium floor the grass of the battlefield swayed lightly in the wind. The green stood out bright and cheerful in the darkening evening. Above the sun was starting to dip behind the stands and would soon kiss the horizon. Clouds streaked the orange sky, the deep blue of night soon to come.

Around the field a brown track created a safety barrier, white lines marking the shift to the grass.

A young boy stood in the middle of the field. His gaze on the screen. In time it would be his name in the lights. Shadow covered his eyes, as his red and white baseball hat shielded him from the sun. The symbol on the hat was world renowned, the green L of the Pokémon League.

Ash Ketchum, a trainer from Pallet Town in Kanto, smiled hiding his disappointment. "Top Eight. Better than the Indigo League." He said to his companion, a Pikachu sitting on his shoulder.

"Pika Pi, pi pikachu." The small yellow mouse replied, rubbing his red cheeks against his Trainer's face.

The young boy smiled, his natural excitement returning to his face. "You're right, Pikachu, next time we will make it even further. Next time we will win."

The two continued to stand quietly on the field. It was a peaceful evening. Most of the other participants had headed home, as had the crowd of fans and supporters.

Another boy called out, breaking the silence. "Hey Ash?"

Ash turned around and saw Harrison, the teenager who had knocked him out of the tournament. Harrison waived, his relaxed clothes and sweatbands speaking of the effort he had put into the competition. "Hey Ash, you got a minute?" He asked from the stands.

Ash jogged over and when he got closer he replied. "Sure thing Harrison. Too bad you didn't win. You and your Pokémon put up a great fight."

Harrison shook his head ruefully. "Yeah, it could have gone better. But, we did everything we could and just didn't quite win. It would have been nice to make it to the finals. But it's okay."

The teenager shook off his lingering disappointment with a smile. "You have some great Pokémon with you. That Charizard of yours is becoming quite the powerhouse."

Ash blushed and rubbed the back of his head. "Pikaa! Pika Pi, pikachu chu!" Pikachu complained from his spot on Ash's shoulder.

"You are really tough as well, Pikachu." Ash said, to reassure the yellow Pokémon. "My Pokémon are fantastic, they all put in as much effort as they could and I am proud of their effort. Besides, you have some strong Pokémon as well. I couldn't believe your Blaziken was able to fight in the air with Charizard."

"Thanks Ash." Harrison said. "I was wondering if you had any tips you would be willing to share on how you trained your Pokémon?"

Ash blinked in confusion. "But you beat me?" He asked slowly.

Harrison nodded. "Yeah, but we are different people. All the trainers I know approach training differently. I was just wondering how you trained."

Ash winced. "Well, I mean, mostly I treat them like family. I want my Pokémon to be happy and so I try to spend time with them. It helps me understand what they want for themselves."

"Do you teach them new moves or strategies?" Harrison asked, trying to hide his confusion from the young boy.

"Not really. I mean, they learn new moves fairly frequently, but I haven't taught them a new move. I talk with them at meals and Pikachu is always with me. I don't want them to feel alone." Ash said.

Harrison ran his hand through his hair. "Interesting, I think I will try being closer to my Pokémon. Anyway, I guess I should pay you back with a tip of my own. I learn the moves my Pokémon know or can learn. Sometimes, I discover moves they don't even know they could learn and I take the time to teach them." He paused. "For example, I was looking up information for Pikachus. Did you know Pikachu could learn both Dynamic Punch and Rollout?"

Ash and Pikachu exchanged looks before turning back to Harrison, who nodded and gestured wildly as he explained. "All kinds of Pokémon can learn moves which are amazing and interesting. Charizard? He could learn Sunny Day to boost the power of his fire or Iron Tail to help beat Rock Types."

Harrison took a breath before continuing. "I am a bit of a nut on moves. Anyway, have you decided where you are going to go next?"

Nodding slowly, Ash smiled. "Thanks for the advice. Yeah, I was going to head back home for a couple of days. I want to see my Mom and the rest of my Pokémon as well. Your Blaizken inspired me, I am heading to Hoenn next. What about you?"

As he spoke, it seemed as if he was lit up by an inner fire. His eagerness to confront a new challenge and to see a new place seemed to energize him. Harrison chuckled at his younger friend. "Kanto, I think. I haven't competed in that league yet. Hopefully I will get to watch the Ever Grande Conference and watch you win it all. Anyway, I have got to get going. I am heading out early in the morning. Good luck Ash."

Ash smiled broadly as Harrison waived. "Good luck to you too Harrison. Enjoy taking on the Indigo League."

Moments later, Ash was alone with Pikachu again. "Do you think Harrision is right? Should I be doing something different in my training? Something more?"

Pikachu leapt off his shoulder and landed on the rail in front of him. The little mouse turned around and pumped his fist. "Pika chu ka, Pika Pi, chu pi." His started said. Ash got the sense that Pikachu, and the rest of his Pokémon, would be willing to train harder and do more.

"Thanks Pikachu." Ash said. He pulled out his trusty Pokedex, Dexter. "I guess I should see if I can learn anything about how to discover new moves or to teach them."

The Pokedex's cover flipped open, showing a screen and a couple of buttons. Dexter blinked on, scanning Pikachu, before displaying an image on its small screen and speaking. "Pikachu, the Mouse Pokémon. This Pokémon knows the moves: Thunder, Thunderbolt, Agility, Quick Attack, and Double-Edge."

Ash blinked once. "That was new. I guess I have never scanned one of my Pokémon before."

He pressed a couple of the buttons, at random. Suddenly a list appeared over the image of Pikachu. Scanning through the list, Ash's eyes grew wider. It was a list of moves Pikachu could learn.

"I guess, if we were looking to teach you some moves, this would be how to start, huh Pikachu." Ash muttered before shaking his head and snapping Dexter closed. "Oh well, I guess we should get some rest as well. After all, we are heading back to Kanto in the morning."

Pikachu nodded and jumped into his trainer's chest, before climbing back onto the boy's shoulder. The two leaned into each other before Ash started jogging back towards his rented room.

The next morning, Ash and his friends started their journey back towards their home region. Pikachu was in his normal place, holding on to Ash's shoulder. Brock was reading a map, trying to keep them going the right direction. Misty completed the group, as she carried the baby Pokémon, Togepi.

Brock was a darker skinned teenager with narrowed eyes. His kindness and care for the groups Pokémon made him a great friend. Misty had a temper as fiery as her hair, she was quite competitive as well.

It was not really that far of a walk. They were coming from the shared championship grounds of both the Indigo Conference of Kanto and the Silver Conference of Johto. Viridian City was only a couple of miles away and they had been making good time. For the moment, they were walking on a dirt path, tall, thick trees on either side. The sun peeked through the glistening leaves, the morning dew not having evaporated quite yet.

"Hey Brock?" Ash asked, breaking the companionable silence.

"Yeah?" He replied.

"Do you think I need to do more to train my Pokémon?"

Misty laughed. "And why would you doubt that?" She asked. "Of course you do. You slack off way to much."

Ash huffed. "I wasn't asking you."

"Relax Ash, she is just trying to wind you up. Anyway, she is right. You could do more to train your Pokémon. I could as well and so can Misty."

Misty rolled her eyes at the older boy's answer. Ash frowned. "Really?"

Brock nodded. "There is not just one way to train and frequently people use multiple techniques to get a better overall result than any one technique."

He paused and saw Ash's confusion. "Remember A.J.?"

"The boy with the whip and the Sandshrew?" Ash asked, thinking back to their journey through Kanto.

"Yeah, he focused on training physical characteristics like endurance and strength. Personally, I focus on nutrition, but also on the keeping a healthy." Brock said.

"I don't understand, it sounds like both of you seem to focus on one thing." Ash said.

"Exactly, and we both have our faults as a trainer. I may be a gym leader but I am more interested in breeding. It shows. My record as a gym leader was spotty at best. A.J. left his fake gym to go learn more, remember. He decided to try to improve as a trainer and I am sure he has become even more impressive."

Finally Ash nodded. "What do you think about teaching Pokémon new moves? New strategies?"

Misty answered. "It helps. I taught Starmie Thunderbolt and it is a good surprise for challengers. I actually don't have many strategies, it is hard to create them when your Pokémon are so tied to their element."

"I agree. Ash, if you want to reach your goal of being a Pokémon Master, you will need to put in the work for it. Including teaching new moves and coming up with new strategies." Brock said.

Ash smiled. "Thanks. Both of you."

His two companions smiled as he joyfully continued to set the pace back to Viridian City.

Eventually, the group made it to the Viridian City Pokémon Center which was on the outskirts of the city. Misty and Brock turned and headed north, the quickest way back to their homes. Ash turned south, towards Pallet Town. The three stopped and turned to face each other.

They knew why each was heading in a different direction. They had discussed, complained, and rationalized the end of their journey together for most of the trip.

Still, none of them was ready for the end. It had been a long and interesting couple of years together. They had gone through the entirety of Kanto and Johto together. Misty and Ash had traveled through the Orange Islands. Times like that could not just be set aside easily.

That was completely ignoring the times they had saved the world together, like that incident on Shamouti Island or the time at Greenfield.

Finally, Brock spoke. "Ash, good luck. I may try to catch up with you in Hoenn if everything is going well at home. I will leave a message with Professor Oak if I am on my way."

"I hope you will be able to come." Ash said.

Misty smiled sadly. "Just, don't forget to call. I won't be able to take many vacations. Let me know when you make it to the Ever Grande Conference. I will try to make it there for that at the very least."

"I will. I know you will do great running the Cerulean Gym." Ash said. "Anyway, I really should go. My Mom is probably worried. I told her I would be back today."

Still none of them moved to leave. Finally, when they did move it was into a group hug instead of leaving.

Ash, with Pikachu on his shoulder, stepped to the crest of the hill overlooking Pallet Town. It was a quiet place, farmland mostly. A couple of ranches, including the Professors. Houses dotted the landscape, as the small village sat in the valley near the coast. The glittering blue ocean was just visible on the far side of the Town.

The biggest building by far was the windmill attached to the back of the converted barn that Professor Samuel Oak used as his Laboratory.

The Laboratory had a red roof, peaked on one side with a shorter building attached to the side. The size of the facility was made huge, but not because of the lab. Out back was acres of fenced property where Pokémon roamed free. Professor Oak was responsible for starting a number of trainers, each one ended up sending their Pokémon back to the Ranch. While upkeep was a bit of a job, the Professor enjoyed every minute of his busy day. It gave him the opportunity to observe the various Pokémon interact with each other.

Ash made an involuntary step towards the Professor's place. He wanted to talk with the Professor about this whole training idea and his suggestions. Pikachu used his tail to hit his trainer in the back of the head. "Oww, hey Pikachu, what was that for?"

Pikachu pointed towards the dusty path veering towards town, which was slightly better tread then the one heading towards the Lab. "Piii Pika chu kaa chu."

"You want to see Mom as well?" Ash asked. "Yeah, you are probably right. We should let Mom know we are home before we go talk with the Professor. She promised a big lunch anyway."

"Mom! I am home!" Ash said, darting through the open door of the house. The flower beds in the front were overflowing with plants as a Mister Mime tended to them.

From the kitchen, Delia Ketchum, leaned into the doorway separating them. "Ash! Welcome home honey. How was the trip back?"

"Great! It is awesome being back home for a little while. I want to head out to Hoenn fairly quick. And it was a bit hard saying bye to Brock and Misty. Anyway, I want to check in with the Professor before deciding when to head out again."

"Oh my, you are always on the move. Did you come straight here?"

Ash nodded as he kicked his shoes off. He then stepped into the kitchen giving his mother a big hug. "Pikachu and I really wanted to see you. Mimey is doing a great job with the garden."

Delia smiled before shooing Ash to the nearby table. "Mimey has done such a good job. He keeps me and the Professor fully stocked with vegetables from the garden. Lunch is almost ready, we can sit down and catch up."

Ash sat down, Pikachu leaping off his shoulder and onto a different chair. "I really enjoyed traveling through Johto. There was so much going on. We got to see so many different Pokémon and people. I am a little disappointed that I didn't win the Conference and that the others had to head home separately. Still it was a lot of fun." Ash rambled as his mother finished serving up the meal.

"I even got a chance to talk with Harrison, you know the guy who beat me. We traded some training tips. I think I got more out of it than he did. I mean, I just said I treat my Pokémon like family, while he suggested teaching them new moves."

Ash smiled. "And then both Brock and Misty had some suggestions as well. I am going to miss traveling with them."

He paused and rubbed Pikachu's head. "I love traveling. You get to meet good friends and new Pokémon. Its the best, you are never alone."

Delia sat down opposite her son. "Any regrets?"

"Not really. Some of my Pokémon went in a different direction. Like Charizard staying at the Charific Valley with the other Charizards. Primeape wanted to stay and learn how to fight better at the P1 gym. Squirtle stayed with an Officer Jenny to help fight fires. Butterfree left to be with his mate. Pidgoet decided to stay with a flock of Pidgey being tormented by some Spearow and a nasty Fearow. Lapras decided to travel with his family. I miss them all but I don't really regret it."

"You may want to talk with the Professor about those Pokémon." Delia suggested. "You may not regret making the decision, but he may be able to help you travel with them again."

Ash beamed a bright smile at her. "Do you really think so?"

She shrugged. "Anything is possible and knowing you, you never actually released them."

"I didn't, I wanted them to be happy, not caught by some other trainer." Ash said.

"Some of them may want to come back, but some may not. You are a good man, Ash, you let your Pokémon make decisions on what is best for them. As long as you do that, I think you will never have a regret about your Pokémon."

"Thanks Mom."

"Any time honey." Delia said as her son dove into his meal.

Between bites, Ash talked about his journey. With wild gestures, he outlined the Pokémon he had met and the friends he made. In return, she told him stories of the peaceful Pallet Town, letting him know of the few changes in the community.

After finishing lunch, Ash knocked on the door to the Professor's lab. He smiled as the door opened to reveal another friend, Tracey Sketchit. The young boy, his orange headband keeping his hair out of his face, smiled upon seeing the visitor. "Hey Ash, coming over to check on your Pokémon?"

"Yeah, I wanted to make sure everyone was introduced around. After that, do you think I could talk with the Professor?"

"I will go ask, but you know Professor Oak. He will find time. Head on out to the back, your Pokémon are eagerly awaiting you."

Ash walked in carefully before breaking into a jog, heading outside. "Thanks Tracey."

Tracey shook his head gently as he watched his friend hurry off.

Ash soon burst out to the rolling hills of the Ranch. "I am back!" He called.

Bulbasaur was the first to respond, coming to nuzzle his leg. A big messy hug by Muk was next and then the rest of Ash's Pokémon arrived. It was a rather large pile, including the Pokémon he sent out to join the fun.

Ash extracted himself enough to sit down comfortably and look over his Pokémon. He smiled as his Pokémon started to play. This was the best part about coming home, well after a nice home cooked meal and a hug from his Mom.

Ash stood up when he noticed the approaching man, his grey hair neatly cut. The Professor grinned at the young man. "Ash my boy, I am glad to see you in good spirits after the Silver Conference. You did quite well, I am very proud of you. Now, Tracey mentioned you had something you wanted to talk about?"

"Yeah." Ash said his smile dropping off his face. "I am proud of what I did in Johto. I am going to Hoenn next."

Professor Oak nodded. "That will be quite an adventure. If I remember right, Professor Birch is based out of Hoenn."

"Am I doing enough training?" Ash said blurting out his question.

"You and Gary are fantastic trainers. I am proud of both of you. Everyone has room for improvement." The Professor said. "I suggest making the changes you want to make."

Ash nodded. "I want to be a Pokémon Master. If I don't make a change, will I be able to reach my goal?"

"What do you think it means to be a Pokémon Master?" Professor Oak answered with another question.

Ash froze, his face scrunching up in concentration as he thought. The two stood in silence for a moment. "I guess I never thought about it."

"I want you to consider your definition and deciding if you want to continue to pursue it."

"Professor!" Ash exclaimed. The Professor raised a hand to settle the thirteen year old. "What I mean is, I am a researcher and some call me a Pokémon Master. The Pokémon League has fantastic battlers called Pokémon Masters. You need to figure out what being a Pokémon Master means for you."

Ash started to respond, but Professor Oak continued to talk. "Now if you want to know what could help you develop as a competitive battler, I do have a suggestion. Go and catch more Pokémon. You don't need to be like Gary and try to catch multiple of every species. But you could do with some diversity of type and style."

Ash frowned. "I don't understand what you mean."

"Except for Snorlax and Muk, you don't have a Pokémon who can slow a battle down. All of your Pokémon are fast and powerful. You may want to find Pokémon which fight in different ways from your usual style. It could help make you harder to predict and a more diverse battler." The Professor explained.

Ash smiled. "Do you think I should try to get some of my other Pokémon back? Like Primeape or Lapras?"

The Professor rubbed his chin. "I still have their Pokéballs on the shelf. If you reach out, I see no problem. With Butterfree, Lapras, and Pidgeot, you would have to find them. I can pull a few strings to have some friends keep an eye out for them, but there are no guarantees."

At this, Tracey interjected. "Ash, there is a pod of Lapras hanging around the beach. It could be the your Lapras' pod, or another pod. You may want to go check."

Almost as soon as Tracey finished speaking, Ash was moving. "Thanks Professor! Hey Pikachu, lets go to the beach!"

Pikachu ran ahead of Ash as the two raced towards the beach. It was a long shot, but if it was Lapras maybe they could travel together again.

Soon enough the two were skidding to a stop just at hte edge of the beach. Sure enough, there was a pod of Lapras relaxing in the surf right where Tracey had said they would be.

Ash tossed a Pokéball into the air and with a flash of light, Totodile appeared with a jump and a dance. "Dile!"

"Hey Totodile, could you swim Pikachu out to those Lapras? We traveled with a Lapras for a while and I want to see if they came for a visit."

The little blue crocodile nodded with a serious expression on its face. "Toto."

A moment later, Ash's two Pokémon were out in the ocean, talking with the bobbing Lapras.

Ash sat down and waited, a different Pokéball in his hand. He had a plan now. He would check on his old friends to see if they wanted to come back. Then he would do better. He wouldn't change who he was though. His Pokémon would be family.

Ash looked up and smiled. Pikachu was riding back with Totodile on the back of a Lapras. As they came closer, Ash ran out into the breaking waves to hug his friend.

Ash was ready for the challenge of the Ever Grande Conference.


End file.
